Obaseki in serious dilemma over new court order

This is not the best of times for Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state as an aggrieved governorship aspirants in the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the state has gotten an interim injunction stopping him from contesting the party’s primary scheduled for June 25.

The Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, gave the order following an exparte motion dated June 22 and filed at the court by one of the PDP governorship aspirants, Omoregie Igbeide-Ihama, and adjourned the motion on notice to June 24.

In his motion, Omoregie Igbeide-Ihama prayed the court to restrain the party from allowing Governor Obaseki to contest the party’s Edo State governorship primary.

The defendants in the suit are the party’s National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, Emmanuel Ogidi, Kingsley Chinda, Chief Debekeme Boyleyefa, Senator James Manager, Barrister Ajibola Muraina, the PDP, Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

It would be recalled that Gov. Obaseki had dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the PDP, after he was disqualified by the APC from contesting its governorship primary held on June 22. However, he was granted a waiver by the PDP to contest in the party’s primary.

Igbeide-Ihama in the suit,  prayed the court for an order of interim injunction restraining the PDP and other defendants from allowing Obaseki “or any member or non-member other than those that have purchased forms and were screened within the time stated in the said timetable to contest the PDP’s primary election rescheduled to hold on the 25th June, for the purpose of nominating or electing its candidate for the year 2020 governorship election in Edo State pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.”

He equally prayed for an order of interim injunction restraining the INEC from recognising or accepting the name of Obaseki or any other person (member or non-member of the PDP) as candidate of the party other than the name of the plaintiff or that of other aspirants, who had already purchased nomination forms and were screened within the times stipulated in the PDP timetable for the nomination process of the 2020 governorship election in Edo State pending the hearing of the matter.